Guneysinir Community Park & Almond Co-op

Guneysinir, Turkey

Critical Need

The town of Guneysinir is located in a region that receives very little precipitation, with rainfall dropping to less than 10mm between the months of July and September. In addition to the stress imposed by the drought and climate issues, this area is in need of alternative economic opportunities for its growing population. Unlike the more popular touristic Western side of the country where job opportunities are diverse and plenty, people of Guneysinir rely heavily on agriculture for income. The addition of an almond orchard to this community provides an attainable means to combat drought, a place for community members and visitors alike to enjoy, and also a sustainable model for social enterprise development.

Our Involvement

This project was inspired by conversations with G Advenutres' field staff and the residents participating in the home stay experience. The goal is to provide an opportunity for travellers to spend time in a community park and contribute to a budding social enterprise. With the help of the local municipality, we identified a 10,000 sq.m. plot of land that is perfectly suited for this type of multi-year development project.

G Adventures travellers that visit the park during the first phase of the project will have the opportunity to plant some of the first trees in the orchard. Once the project is up and running, travellers will visit the park en route to the home stay for an afternoon tea at sunset with local village residents and to learn about the project.

Impact

An almond plantation that doubles as a community park will provide not only a source of shade and water retention, but a source of income once almonds can be harvested, with the added benefit of it becoming a place for families and visitors to enjoy together.